Of Mics and Men

[No offense to the female gender of course…but the play on words just doesn’t work any other way. :)]

No other iconic symbol overshadows our business more than the microphone. Even the most satisfied Neumann or Lawson or Peluso Microphone user has a nagging suspicion somewhere in the back of his/her head that there just MIGHT still be a microphone better suited for their use out there somewhere.

Endless forum threads attest to the fact that the search for the perfect microphone is a highly personal decision, and that it is often an extended tale of trial and error…listening and learning.

Their website states: “…Reactor fuses an innovative pattern selection method with a swiveling capsule head for perfect positioning, and features Blue’s premium condenser capsule, fully discreet Class A solid state components, and proprietary preamp for simple live switching between patterns (Cardioid, Omni or Figure-8).”

It IS techno-geekoid-looking gizmo that obviously has precision-manufactured lines. How much does the LOOK of a microphone influence your at least trying a mic on for size?

Do you understand all the terms? Cardioid, Hyper-Cardioid, Polarity Patterns, Condenser, Large-Diaphragm? I confess I’m weak in this area. Is it important to know all that?…or just find a mic that works well for you…and sounds right for your voice?

In just a few days, I’m going to be revisiting this topic in a big way, and asking for your input in a forum that might benefit others. I hope you’ll be willing to help.

CourVO

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The Blue guys are big believers that a strikingly designed mic can enhance a vocalist’s performance by changing the way they interact with the hardware. They even mention this in some of their marketing materials.

Most of their lineup has the goods to back up those pretty faces, too. The Mouse is actually a decent VO mic, especially for big voices doing promo/imaging work. And when producing song parodies for the radio day job, I keep returning to the Bluebird. It sits in the mix just right for me, almost like a musical comedy version of the Sennheiser 416.

The Blue Reactor is unarguably cool, and promises to be another good-looking addition to their lineup, though it’s hard to pass judgement without having heard the sound yet. “Cause while looks are nice, the sound is still what it’s all about.